You can self-drive, join a guided tour, book flights, or take a train or bus. Passenger and vehicle ferries offer services between the North, South and other islands too.
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Driving is one of the best ways to see New ZealandDriving around New Zealand is reasonably straightforward and traffic is relatively light outside of the major cities. People drive on the left-hand side of the road and visitors are usually allowed to drive on their home driver's license for up to a year.
Ferry companiesBluebridge(opens in new window) and the Interislander(opens in new window) ferries travel regularly between the two islands and are able to transfer vehicles, motorcycles and pets. Comfortable seating, lounges with Wi-Fi and dining options are available onboard, so are private cabins.
For a 10-day trip, we recommend visiting up to four or five different destinations. Our 10-day itinerary locations are some of the most popular: Auckland the City of Sails, Wellington the cultural, art and food capital, and Queenstown the home of world-class adrenaline activities.
The two islands are extremely complimentary of each other yet offer very different things. It's a no-brainer that if you are travelling to New Zealand for more than a couple of weeks, you should visit both islands!
Condensing Your Trip Into Less Than Two WeeksYou could easily spend longer than two weeks in New Zealand, but that's the minimum amount of time you'll need to explore the country properly. Divide your time evenly between the North and South Island and take into account the days that will be lost to travel.
Taking the ferry without a vehicle is the cheapest - and also the most convenient - way of crossing the strait - and if you book with us you will leave your existing rental vehicle at one end, and pick up a new one at the other.
You don't need to drive to see New Zealand. Take the bus or train and you can enjoy the same scenery without the responsibility of driving in an unfamiliar environment. In some places you can travel by ferry. Travelling by plane is quick and convenient.
How Long Does it Take to Drive Around New Zealand? Driving around New Zealand can take anywhere between 30 hours, if driving from top to bottom and taking the ferry between the North and South Island, to 65 hours if doing a thorough road trip of both islands with the ferry included.
Catch the busThe InterCity bus network is the cheapest way to travel around New Zealand. The buses are reasonably comfortable with big windows, charging ports and regular stops.
The cost of living in New Zealand, for one person in a major city, is between NZ$3,000-NZ$4,000 per month. A family of four can expect to need NZ$5,000-NZ$6,000 per month to live.
Ferry travel between the North Island and the South Island. New Zealand's most famous and beautiful ferry route is between Wellington in the North Island and Picton in the South Island. The journey between the two islands is commonly referred to as 'crossing the Cook Strait'.
The South Island is very different from the North Island. For starters it's larger than the North Island and generally considered more beautiful. It also has gorgeous coastline, though it's best known for the many mountains and fjords that define its inland.
CAN YOU SLEEP IN YOUR CAR WHILE TRAVELLING NEW ZEALAND? It can be tempting to save money on your car rental by treating your wheels as a hotel. However, freedom camping in a car is illegal in most places in New Zealand. In order to freedom camp, you typically need a self-contained campervan.